Democratic leader raised concerns that AB 601 does not promote tribal equity
The question of whether Wisconsin will join 31 other states plus the District of Columbia in allowing statewide online sports betting is now in the hands of Gov. Tony Evers.
Evers received Assembly Bill 601 on Thursday, more than two weeks after the Wisconsin Senate voted 21-12 to send the measure to the Democratic governor.
Currently, Wisconsin allows sports betting on tribal land. AB 601 would give each of Wisconsin’s 11 federally recognized tribal nations the ability to offer online wagering, provided the tribes enter into gaming compacts or amend existing ones with the state. Those compacts also would need federal approval.
If that happens, tribal nations participating in sports betting would be allowed to host sports betting servers on their land. Then, anyone 21 or older physically in Wisconsin would be able to connect with the server through a mobile app or website.
This type of sports betting system was approved by federal courts a couple of years ago after the Seminole Tribe of Florida inked a new compact with Florida leaders.
The state constitution gives Evers six days, Sundays excluded, to sign the bill into law, veto it or let it become law without his signature.
Eight of 11 Wisconsin Tribes Back Sports Betting Bill
For now, Evers does not seem to be eager to sign the Wisconsin sports betting bill. He expressed his concerns in recent interviews with Wisconsin media outlets.
“We’re still working with people,” Evers, a Democrat, told Madison’s WKOW-TV. “For me, it’s always been making sure that we have some kind of equity among tribal nations in Wisconsin. At last blush, it looked like that type of equity that we’re looking for wasn’t necessarily there.”
Last month, representatives from eight tribal nations sent a letter to Evers encouraging him to sign the bill. The three tribes not involved in the letter were the Menominee Indian Tribe, Oneida Nation, and the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Milwaukee Brewers, two of the state’s major professional sports teams, have also come out in support.
However, the Sports Betting Alliance, an advocacy group representing bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics, and FanDuel, has come out against the bill.
Support, Opposition Cross Party Lines
Gambling is one issue where neither support nor opposition tends to stay within party lines, and that’s the case in Wisconsin. Republicans hold majorities in both the Assembly and the Senate, but when the Senate voted last month to send AB 601 to Evers, it did so with a majority of Democrats siding with Republican leaders. The 21 yes votes included 12 of the 15 Democrats in the chamber.
In a newsletter to his constituents last week, Sen. Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) called the passage of the sports betting bill one of the “lowlights” of the session.
“Most of us have the common sense to see the dangers of expanding legalized gambling, including the social and financial harm,” said Kapenga, who previously served as the Senate president from 2020 to 2024.
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